At Least 11 Dead as Volcano Erupts in Indonesia

Rescue officials in Indonesia have discovered the bodies of at least 11 hikers following a volcanic eruption in western Indonesia, as reported by a local rescue official on Monday.

The volcano in western Indonesia erupted on Sunday, spewing ash columns reaching an altitude of up to three thousand meters.

This led to the evacuation of dozens of hikers in the vicinity of its crater, according to authorities.

A restricted zone was established around the Merapi volcano, located on Sumatra Island, with its peak standing at 2,891 meters after it was placed on the third-highest alert level.

Hendra Gunawan, the head of Indonesia's Volcano Research Center, stated in a press release that ash had been detected at an altitude of three thousand meters above the peak of Merapi, adding that "the eruption is still ongoing."

The last major eruption of Mount Merapi was in 2010, claiming the lives of over 300 people and displacing around 280,000 residents.

It was the deadliest eruption since 1930 when it resulted in the deaths of around 1,300 individuals. In 1994, another eruption claimed the lives of about 60 people.